PPP angry over ongoing probe in corruption cases: Nisar

ISLAMABAD, Dec 24 (APP): Minister for Interior and Narcotics Control Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan Saturday said Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) was angry with him as he let Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) probe cases of corruption on which the previous government stopped action.
During an informal talk with journalists at Punjab House here, he said PPP wanted that no action should be taken in corruption cases but he took the cases forward.
Replying to a question about case of Khannani and Kalia, he said he held inquiry into the matter and it emerged that it was the worst case of money laundering and more than that it was criminal negligence.
The record of the case was destroyed by somebody within the previous government which did not move the case forward and stopped action.
“I have said earlier that progress would be made in this case soon, within two weeks,” he added.
The minister said accountability would be properly held when chairman National Accountability Bureau (NAB) would be appointed by judiciary and not by the government and opposition.
Interior Ministry was not an institution of accountability which was the job of NAB, he added.
While talking about reasons of anger of leaders of Pakistan Peoples Party with him, the Interior Minister said, PPP was annoyed because when Supreme Court ordered Federal Investigation Agency in different cases, then the agency went ahead with probes.
These cases include Employees Old Age Benefit Institution (EOBI) and Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) scams, he explained.
He went on to say that in its tenure, PPP delayed action on 10 to 12 cases and even sent an officer of FIA to Gilgit Baltistan, so inquiries could not move forward.
Nisar said his decision to take back security from unauthorized persons and cancellation of diplomatic passports also angered some people.
The minister said the Interior Ministry undertook unprecedented steps in three and a half years.
He said he would respond to the Quetta commission report before the Supreme Court.
Bogus allegations were levelled against him for the last 30 years and propaganda was unleashed, he added.
He said if he wanted to become Prime Minister then there were many opportunities for him.
Nisar said he was in politics for the last 35 years and was a satisfied person, adding respect was gained with character and not through posts.
He said he learned to be steadfast and it was not in his character to stab somebody in the back or conspire against anybody or get a post from the back door.
To a question, he said no government had a total good or weak
performance.
“Governments take some good steps while some work is left undone.”
He said due to weakness of previous governments, some problems
turned into a situation of emergency. These issues were loadshedding, bad condition of economy and terrorism.
Due to hard work and effort of the present government, better results began to appear, he added.The minister said media was monitoring the government’s
performance and people would give their verdict in elections after five years.
He said it was beauty of democracy that politicians had to go through the filter of elections.
When asked whether return of Asif Ali Zardari to the country was part of any deal, he said one should not indulge in conspiracy theories.
The government had neither done any deal with anybody nor given assurance or guarantee to any one, he added.
Nisar said Asif Ali Zardari did not need a deal to return to Pakistan.
“Neither name of Asif Zardari was on Exit Control List nor he faced any restriction,” he said.
To a question about timing of Rangers recent action in Karachi, he said Rangers had clarified the matter in a statement.
“Let the investigation move forward in the matter and many things would become clear.”
He said somebody sent him a file about a NAB case of Opposition Leader in National Assembly.
“I can’t tell what is in it. I don’t want to go into details of it.”
He said NAB prosecution department wanted probe in this case but the matter was closed in 2008 as Chairman NAB was of PPP.
He said previously NAB chairman and prosecutors of choice were appointed and they worked according to the previous government’s wishes.
Responding to a question about law of plea bargain, he said there were a lot of loopholes in the laws of NAB.
The path of plea bargain was similar to giving way to thieves, he remarked.
Nisar said, “We tried to make changes in NAB law but Peoples Party did not back us.”
NAB should have administrative and financial autonomy, he added.
To a question, he said he had no pressure for removing name of Pervez Musharraf from Exit Control List (ECL). “I am not the person who will come under pressure.”
He said name of Musharraf was on ECL for two and a half years and then the trial court decided to let him go and somebody asked for a favour but he pointedly refused.
Then they went into appeal and the High Court ordered to remove name of Musharraf from ECL, he recalled.
“The government went to Supreme Court instead of removing his name from ECL. Supreme Court gave a clear verdict and Musharraf booked a flight and even his luggage reached the airport but I stopped him from leaving.”
Nisar said those people were criticizing them over departure of Musharraf who in their four years did not do anything and even
sent him off with a guard of honour and he enjoyed complete freedom.
To another question about putting name of Ayyan Ali on ECL, he
said he did not put her name on ECL and a committee took the decision on recommendation of Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).
Then a request came from Punjab government to put her name on ECL due to a murder case. The widow of the murdered person filed an application in the High Court, he added.
Nisar said he did not need to prove a connection between Ayyan Ali and Asif Zardari as he did not attack anybody personally.
Nisar recalled he had once said why Latif Khosa was fighting case of Ayyan free of charge, on which Latif had said he was not contesting the case for free, and would file a case and send a notice to me, but that never happened.
The minister said he went to the National Assembly for three days with files to reply to the allegations but nobody spoke.
To a question , he said there was no data of fourth schedulers and he prepared the data and record of proscribed organizations.
At present there were 61 proscribed organizations including Daesh, he told
“We took steps to stop funding to these proscribed organizations. More than four thousand bank accounts were closed but citizenship of anybody could not be cancelled even if he had committed murder.”
The persons in fourth schedule could be monitored, however, their identity cards could not be cancelled as there was no provision for it in the law, he added.
The Interior Minister said more than 200,000 identity cards were blocked and thousands were cancelled.
In the previous government, foreigners were holding identity cards, he said adding cards were issued to all kinds of persons at that time.
Chaudhry Nisar said a database of criminals was being prepared to curb crime.